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On the Warpath
When the Black Hawk war broke
out in 1832 the Menomonee had been for many years enemies of the Ojibwa
or Chippewa, but made peace with them, on the Chippewa river, encouraged
to do so by their desire to join the Americans against the Foxes and Sacs.
Colonel Stambough took about three hundred of them up river to join
General Dodge's rangers and frontiersmen protecting the settlers in that
war.
Rev. Cutting Marsh saw this Menomonee band on their way
up the Fox river and thus describes them:
"They appear, indeed, thoughtless as sheep bound to the slaughter. Their
painted faces, ornaments, drums, whistles, war clubs and spears, made them
appear, indeed, savage and scar-like. Their songs, uttered from their
throat, consisting of deep guttural songs, and the occasional whoop was
calculated to snake one feel darkness still brooded over this land removed
so far from civilization." Oshkosh was with them.
There were about sixty Menomonee under Colonel
Hamilton, son of Alexander Hamilton, who carne up to the battle of
Peckatonica just as it was over. The Winnebago took the scalps of the
dead Sacs, but the Menomonee refused to take any, saying they belonged to
the white chief, they had not killed them. One authority says of this
Indian contingent, after a few days of talking, counseling and "eating up
a great deal of beef, they became discontented and departed, frightening
the inhabitants of the country through which they returned. They were a
cowardly and treacherous set of miserable fellows."
Oshkosh was present at the payment and treaty held by
Governor Henry Dodge in 1836, at Cedar Point at Cedar Rapids, opposite
Kimberly. At this treaty the Menomonee conceded a portion of their lands
west of Lake Winnebago and Fox river, and were removed to Lake Poygan in
town of Poygan in Winnebago county.
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